Sport-heute: Sailing - Stealth-Play für Ericcson 3

26. März 2009, 00:39

Stealth-Play für Ericcson 3

Früher war es einfach: Die Whitbread-Flotte verschwand nach dem Start Richtung Horizont und hatte wenig bis gar keinen Kontakt – weder zum Rest der Welt noch zur Konkurrenz. Heute sind die Bewegungen der Yachten 24 Stunden pro Tag nachvollziehbar. Das freut das Publikum, vereitelt aber taktische Rafinessen. Genau da setzt die so genannte StealthPlay-Option an: Jedes Team kann auf ausgewählten Etappen für zwölf Stunden „untertauchen“, in dieser Zeit scheint die Position der Yacht auf keinem Bildschirm auf. Sie wird zwar aus Sicherheitsgründen nach wie vor vom Hauptquartier verfolgt, diese Informationen werden aber nicht weitergegeben. Möglich ist StealthPlay je einmal auf den Etappen von Alicante nach Kapstadt, von Kapstadt nach Kochi, von Qingdao nach Rio, von Rio nach Baltimore und von Baltimaore nach Galway. Wird die Option nicht genutzt, verfällt sie.

Volvo Ocean Race, 25.3.09 (mk) Direkt von den Yachten

ERICSSON 3 IN HIDING

It is day 40 of this 12,300 nautical mile jaunt from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in the closing stages, the leading boat, Ericsson 3, has opted to play her stealth card. She has gone into hiding and will only reappear 24- hours later, or once she is within 50 nm of the finish in Rio.

This is the first time on this leg that the stealth card, newly introduced for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race, has been played. Ericsson 3 began her ‘StealthPlay’ to give it its official title, immediately after the 1000 GMT position report this morning and her position in the fleet and all her onboard data will now be secret..

However, at 1000 GMT this morning, the last position report before she ‘disappeared’ from the world’s radar, Ericsson 3 had 194 miles to run to the finish as was parallel with Sao Paulo. She was averaging a double-figure boat speed of 10.5 knots and had achieved a run of 262 nm in the past 24 hours.

Her nearest and deadliest rival, Ericsson 4, with the hugely talented Torben Grael at the helm in what are his home waters, was a safe 103 nm behind her. But, spicing things up in the last hours of the leg, Grael too opted for StealthPlay shortly after today’s 1300 GMT positions were released and now the whereabouts of the man who has five Olympic medals to his name and who knows the waters off Rio like the back of his hand, will be unknown for 24-hours.

At 1300 GMT today, prior to announcing their StealthPlay, Ericsson 4 had 254 nm to run to the finish, with third-placed PUMA a further 86 miles astern.

Yesterday, PUMA’s skipper Ken Read was questioning the motives of the Wind Gods. “Do they really need to play with us like this?” he asked. He answered his own question when he said, “We have a choice. We always have a choice, but now, we really have a choice. We can feel sorry for ourselves and bitch about the weather and the winds and everything else that is preventing us from the ‘all we can eat in Rio’, or we can suck it up and deal with our situation the best we can. Continue to race and continue to do our jobs.”

Read’s crew clearly chose the latter option and Read is very proud of all involved. “Not a single ‘feeling sorry for ourselves’ comment. We continue to race,” he said.

The top four boats, including the beleaguered Green Dragon have all been set free of the high pressure and are making good speeds towards the finish, while Telefónica Blue is the latest victim of the light spot and her speed is nearly half that of the Dragon’s, at 7.5 nm average over the last three hours.

After closing to within 50 nm of Ian Walker and his men yesterday, Bouwe Bekking’s blue boat has now slipped back to 164 nm, as she too now has to fight her way through the high pressure.

“What could have been a case of just counting down the miles to Rio has become for us an exciting duel to the finish,” declared Telefónica Blue’s helmsman Simon Fisher.

As well as keeping Telefónica Blue at bay, Green Dragon has her own issues onboard. Their fuel situation has become critical as the alternator on the generator isn’t working and crew has to use the main engine, which takes more fuel.

“We have calculated we have six days [of fuel] left,” says skipper Ian Walker, who reckons it will take them the full six days to reach Rio.

Ericsson 3 is expected to complete this leg in the early hours of tomorrow morning, followed by Ericsson 4 and PUMA later the same day. Computer routing software is predicting a finish for both Green Dragon and Telefónica Blue on 28 March, but with 450 nm still to run and the possibility of the wind fading, the finishing order for these two is far from a done deal.

Leg Five Day 40: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) STEALTHPLAY
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 254
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +86
Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +459
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +623

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Cape Horn Scoring Gate
(boat/date/rounding time/gate points)

Ericsson 3: 17.03.09 1222 GMT: 4 points
Ericsson 4: 17.03.09 1448 GMT: 3.5 points
PUMA: 17.03.09 2046 GMT: 3 points
Green Dragon: 18.03.09 0215 GMT 2.5 points
Telefónica Blue: 19.03..09 1339 GMT 2 points
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TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG FIVE DAY 39 QFB: received 24.03.09 2205 GMT

Hi there,

It has been a good day today. Despite light winds that have been threatening to thwart our progress, we have been making modest speeds for much of the day and, as a result, are still closing on Rio and our nearest rivals Green Dragon. With now only 50 miles to Green Dragon, the race is very much on and it has given us plenty of added excitement to the finale to this leg. What could have been a case of just counting down the miles to Rio has become for us an exciting duel to the finish. The next 24 hours however will be pretty telling as we continue to negotiate our way through the mine field of high pressure that still lies ahead of us.

In spite of the slowed progress, the light winds do bring some advantages though. We are now thoroughly dried out after the rigours of the Southern Ocean and 4-6 knots and flat water make for excellent sleeping conditions which is something that is definitely welcomed by everyone. However, despite the increased comfort in the sleeping bag, we are all hoping that these light winds won't last too much longer and we can get to more reliable breeze sometime tomorrow.

With that said, I'm off now to my bunk to enjoy some sleep and listen to a few tunes on my iPod before getting up in a few hours to coax the boat ever closer to Rio!

Cheers,

Simon Fisher - helmsman
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GREEN DRAGON LEG FIVE DAY 39 QFB: received 24.03.09 1800 GMT

We are still in the grips of the ever expanding high pressure. Last night and this morning was the calmest I have ever seen the sea. We went hours and hours without even seeing a ripple on the surface.

The crew continues to work hard to move forwards as every mile we get north will help us get in the wind sooner. Right now it looks like we will have to endure another six days to get to Rio. Not good considering our first ETA four days ago was tomorrow!

Our fuel situation has become critical as the alternator on the generator isn't working and we have to charge off the main engine which takes more fuel. We have switched off all non essentials and are trying not to move the keel (which draws a lot of power) and have calculated we have six days left. I think it will still take us six days to get to Rio but I am scared of making any more predictions. We have approximately five meals left and a bit of porridge so nobody will starve, but this is on top of being hungry for weeks - each watch now has its own ration pack and a black market is rapidly developing.

I continue to be impressed by the team's professionalism and good humour in the face of adversity.

The highlight of today was a school of yellow fin tuna circling the boat and Phil Harmer's attempt to spear one with a knife taped to a batten. Unfortunately the only net result was some lost porridge thrown in the water to try and attract them closer. We should have used Beef Jerky but couldn't bring ourselves to throw it over the side as bait. Maniac (Chris Main) is determined to catch a turtle but thus far we have stopped him from jumping in on top of one as they swim past. I am not quite sure what we would do with it if he did catch one and I suspect they are a protected species so we will refrain. Besides I like turtles.

I am not one to dwell too long on any misfortune. Last night I lay on the foredeck looking up at the mast and sails listening to my iPod pondering our situation and I thought of all the thousands of people who would love to go sailing across an ocean on a fantastic boat like this and those who never had that chance. We have that opportunity and we will continue to make the most of it despite less than ideal circumstances. See you in Rio soon I hope!

Ian Walker - skipper
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PUMA LEG FIVE DAY 39 QFB: received 24.03.09 1949 GMT

We have a choice. We always have a choice, but now...we really have a choice.

We can feel sorry for
ourselves and bitch about the weather and the winds and everything else that is preventing us from ‘all we can eat in Rio’, or e can suck it up and deal with our situation the best we can. Continue to race and continue to do our jobs.

This crew has clearly done the latter and I am very proud of all involved. Not a single ‘feeling sorry for ourselves’ comment. We continue to race.

Now, with that said, and between you and me, is this really necessary? Do the Wind Gods need to play with us like this? A couple hours ago we were simply becalmed and I think our estimated time to finish was about Christmas of this year. Time for the winds to fill in. There, I said it and I feel better for it. And since then we have gotten up to eight knots of wind which feels like a hurricane at this point.

Back to the situation at hand. Yes, we are rationing food but I give our guys credit. Our shore team and onboard food connoisseurs had a plan and that was having enough food through 36 or so days. Then we would be down to slim pickings and there would be lots of protein and mashed potatoes to supplement smaller portions of regular freeze dried. There is all the water we can drink but there isn't a morsel of a snack on board. Except for a couple candy bars that my wife smuggled away that I break in half and throw on deck to the wolves from time to time.

Weather wise we actually thought we would be in a better spot than we are and the Ericssons have escaped a bit over the last 12 hours. We may have one more chance at them though. Keeping our fingers crossed that these weather files have to be right at some point. We shall see.

I have a feeling that there are more frustrated people on shore than on the boats. The shore teams want to start putting the boats back together. The families want to see their boys. Logistics people want to make flights for real to get people home. And I would guess that the Rio stopover isn't much of one without the boats and the crews. We are trying folks. Believe me we are trying.

So, back to the races, trying to coax every inch from the old girl with hopes of someday seeing Rio. And ‘all we can eat’.

Hopefully before Christmas.

Kenny Read - skipper
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Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race Clew Ring onboard PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race onboard Telefonica Blue, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race A tired Damian Foxall, onboard Green Dragon, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro